Unseeing Eyes
by Sheila51
Summary: Lily Potter surveys the broken home of another wizarding family in the wake of a Death Eater attack. And Sirius forms a plan to protect baby Harry.


**Title: Unseeing Eyes**

**Synopsis:** Lily Potter surveys the broken home of another wizarding family in the wake of a Death Eater attack. And Sirius forms a plan to protect Harry.

**Disclaimer:** _I OWN_ _NOTHING!_ Is that clear enough? JK Rowling, Bloomsbury publishing and Warner Bros own the copyright not me! Got it? Good.

**Rating:** I do not understand new rating system but PG-13

**A/N:** This is a prequel to a longer post HBP story I'm writing so if you like this watch out for that one.

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The smoke rose in lazy spirals as the Order of the Phoenix members surveyed the half burnt down house. '_It could have been us.'_ That was the only thing Lily Potter could think as she looked over the destruction. One of the other wizards raised their wand to remove the horrid green skull and snake from the morning air. The Vitelli's had both been Aurors, they were members of the Order and they were Dumbledore's niece and her husband. They were powerful and they were dead. They lay still and cold in the damp morning air, their bodies covered hastily with cloaks to hide the eyes that stared unseeing at the stormy sky.

Somewhere in the wreckage Lily knew three small twisted bodies lay hidden- and for that she was thankful she didn't want to see the dead children, their young eyes sightlessly staring at the sky. She turned her face away from the blackened remains of the house and her eyes sought out the tall figure staring out to sea. The bluff on which the Vitelli's had made their home looked off the white cliffs of Dover and out over the ocean which today was leaden and restless. No one spoke or moved; they did not want to disturb the grief of the most powerful wizard in the world.

Lily looked back at the burnt out ruins. '_It could have been Harry.'_ The air seemed suddenly chillier, but she knew the cold she felt had nothing to do with the weather. Unbidden she saw her beautiful boy in the midst of a ruined home. It was an untenable thought.

Just then there was the sharp pop of someone Apparating.

She turned to see a man she had only met once before, Aberforth Dumbledore. Lily watched as the Aberforth stumbled towards the destruction of his daughter's house. She felt fresh tears fall from her eyes as a strangled cry wrenched from Aberforth's lips.

Lily felt as though she had been petrified, her body still and silent as Professor Dumbledore hurried to hold his brother on his feet the two brothers hugged as Aberforth sobbed.

Lily wanted to rush forwards too but she stayed where she was, silent sobs shaking her body as she thought of little Harry, he was too young to die, too young… Finally choked sobs broke into the air, she was ashamed to be making any noise- it seemed wrong.

Moments later James and Remus were there, Sirius stood back an unreadable expression on his handsome face as he looked bleakly at her for a long moment before roving over the house with the old darkness clouding his features.

James held her close while Remus patted her shoulder awkwardly. She managed to quiet her sobs as Sirius looked over at her again.

"Sirius…" She called weakly as he looked at her, she knew he understood her plea- protect Harry, protect Harry, protect Harry…

Sirius glanced at James and Remus both of them returned the same bleak and worried expressions- suddenly Sirius turned away, he strode towards the house with long steps, his wand raised as he started the search that had to be done, the children that had to be found.

Lily sobbed into James shirt. In her minds eye she could see the twins, their bright auburn hair and brown eyes; the six year olds had been a delight to all who had seen them. Dear little Sorcha, her eyes burning brightly with mischief, and Sive, quieter than her sister and given to dancing around the yard, her sweetness endearing to everyone around her as she cradled her tiny baby sister and pretended to waltz amongst the begonias. Carefree little children who were happy and bright despite the war that raged around them.

Lily knew she would not be able to look into their sightless little eyes- she had watched them grow up from little babies like Harry to little witches. But after them she feared seeing the other body buried somewhere in the rubble, smaller even than her son it would be the hardest to find. She felt Remus walk away; he was probably joining the search for the bodies.

"It will be alright." Whispered James soothingly, his voice belying his comforting words. But it wouldn't be because somewhere nearby lay little Aislinn, her pale blue eyes so like Albus Dumbledore's were staring without seeing in shock and bewilderment at the sky above her. Too young to understand the evil that had taken her life- that could take anyone's life- too young to understand. _'Like Harry,'_ she shook her head. She wouldn't allow this to happen to Harry. _'How will you stop it?'_ asked a little voice in her mind.

Little Aislinn, she was three months younger than Harry. She was barely eight months old- she had just started to say 'mummy' like Harry did. She thought of Harry, he'd been fascinated with the other baby, examining her like she was toy who could move, he even could mutter his own version of her name 'Aslin'. Lily remembered talking with James about the two of them going to school together at Hogwarts once the war was over. Lily had always been certain that day would come- always. Now she felt an icy sensation that warned even if Hogwarts was still there and Voldemort vanquished that she would not see Harry onto the Hogwarts express. She shuddered at the feeling as someone called out in a voice that jerked her from her thoughts.

"Over here!" called Sirius in a strangled voice. James pulled Lily tighter to him, trying to hold her so she wouldn't look but a sudden urge overtook her and she turned her head to see Sirius and Remus pulling aside a door that hung only from one hinge. She recognized the word painted on it in a deep forest green even at a distance 'Nursery'. She had helped decorate the Nursery, they had done it without wands, it had taken them days, Lily had gotten paint on her nose.

Lily watched the others gather around the door, Albus followed Sirius and Remus inside the remains of the room that Lily remembered had been painted a pastel green. There were startled movements from the small group pressed around the door, Lily wanted to look away but she couldn't, instead she stared at the back of the Prewitt brothers, Benjy Fenwick and Marlene McKinnon as they blocked her view of the door.

After what seemed like hours but must've been barely two minutes Dumbledore emerged, a small body in his arms wrapped in one of the handmade patchwork quilts that Alvira Vitelli had loved making. Behind him Remus carried a similar bundle in his arms.

Lily wanted to turn away, she didn't want to watch this, but again she found herself watching as the two wizards took the twins to rest beside their parents. Lily broke from James' hug and walked to Aberforth, she may not know him well but Alvira had been Gryffindor Prefect in Lily's first year, she had been kind, she had helped the awkward muggle-born Lily Evans in her first days at Hogwarts, she had even been Qudditch Captain when James had joined the team in second year.

Lily knelt next to him as Sirius appeared in the doorway, a tiny bundle cradled gently in his arms, murmuring broke out as Albus made his way to his brother, Lily looked at Sirius and saw the tears that streaked his face amongst the soot, but a smile was on his lips as he approached.

"Aberforth look." Said Dumbledore softly as Sirius knelt before them, a tiny hand grasped at Sirius'black shirt.

"She's alive." Whispered Sirius, his voice cracking. "The bastards stunned the kids and set fire to the house knowing the kids would die from either them smoke or the fire." He sadi at the confused glances from his friends and Aberforth's obvious bewildement. But all that Lily could see or hear was the blue eyes that were drowsily looking up at Sirius with intense concentration as little hands tugged at his shirt and the little mews of hunger that little Aislinn was making. Aberforth looked at the baby a moment before standing and striding away, his gait strangely jerky.

Albus was saying something to Sirius, something about needing time as the others silently gathered around Sirius and the small baby he held in his arms. The baby looked around, blue eyes crinkling as a small haunting cry echoed around the little group. She cried again a plaintive plea to her mother to come and feed her; she was unaware that her mother would never come back. Marlene sniffled piteously as Remus patted her back while the two Prewitt brothers began to walk away, their faces strained for good reason, their sister had six children and Lily knew they were imagining having to take the bodies of their sister's children from their house and laying them out.

Aislinn began to cry, tears dripping onto each cheek as Sirius rocked her gently, he looked up at Lily with a fierce look in his eyes. She gave him a weak smile, she understood his expression; it was a promise to protect Harry a promise she did not need to see because she already knew he would do everything to protect their family. James placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder.

Lily reached silently out to Sirius, with a last glance at the baby who was looking up at him Sirius handed her over as she cried out again. Sirius had to carefully prize each tiny fist from his shirt as she clung to him with wails of fear and as Lily stood tiny hands reached for the man kneeling in the mud, his dark eyes following her as Lily took the baby into the small wood that enclosed the little peninsula where the house had stood and found a stump of a once tall oak tree to sit on and opened her blouse for Aislinn.

'_I won't let them do this to Harry.'_ She thought as Aislinn quieted, her little tears drying quickly.

"Little Aislinn…" she whispered to the baby as soft drizzle blanketed the forest and cut through the smoke that rose from the isolated cottage where Erich Vitelli had thought he could hide and protect his family.

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'_I won't let it happen!' _Sirius thought to himself as the blue eyes the beseeched him so disappeared into the woods. He would protect Harry from Voldemort at any cost, he had an idea, a plan beginning to form in his mind. He would put it in place in secret, make it perfect. He would tell no one but Lily and James and Peter. Peter would do it, he may be scared but he would do it and no one would suspect Peter of being Secret Keeper because after all, thought Sirius as his lips twitched into a grim smile: who would entrust the Potters safety to as inept a wizard as Peter Pettigrew?

It was the perfect plan, thought Sirius as his nightmare from the night before returned to his mind, little green eyes staring at him in silent reproach from a tiny dead body. No, he wouldn't let it happen- Harry would live at any cost.

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